Freight-car door



(No Model.)

B.P-.TEAL. FREIGHT GAR DOOR.

Patentd May` V1, 1883.`

` WITNESSES.

By Home l UNITED STATI-:s

`PATENT GFFICE.

B. FRANK TEAL, or PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

FREIGHT-CAR Doce.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 276,644,"dated May 1, 1883, Y ,Application filed May 1I, 1882. i (No model.) i

To all 'whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, B. FRANK TEAL,`a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Philadelphia, in the county ot' Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have in-` vented certain new and useful Improvements in Freight-Cars, of which the following isa specification.

My invention relates to that class of cars termed box cars, adapted to carry grain and other freight 5 and it consists in the peculiar, construction and arrangement of parts, as fully described hereinafter, whereby certain defects in said ears ot' the ordinary construction are overcome.

In the drawings,Figure lis a transverse section ot' the car, looking toward one of the ends. Fig. 2 is the same, the doors open; Fig. 3, a transverse section on the line l 2, Fig. l; and Fig. 4 is a section on the line 3 4, Fig. 1.

.The frame and platform A, sides B B, top C, and side door, D, are constructed in the ordinary manner; but the end, instead of being solidly closed, as is generally the case, is open at one side and provided with aan end door, E, hinged or sliding inguides a a, as shown, and closing an opening extending to the door.

By the addition of the end door it is possible to introduce into the car many articlesas rails and long timber-for the transportation of which box-cars could not otherwise be used. Heretofore it has been necessary to employ on all railroads large numbers of platform-cars,

\ even when there is an abundance of idle box-` cars. Attempts have been made to secure these advantages by providing thel box-cars with end doors; but the constructions have been such as to necessitate the locking of the end doors by devices outside of and accessible from the end platforms, so that they could be tampered with during the running of the train. This alsorequires a double set of locks and seals and extra attention in sealing; and such cars, as heretofore made, have always been incapable ot' use for carrying grain. For these reasons such cars have not answered the desired purpose, and have found but little place upon `the roads. I have overcome these dilticulties by'providing each end door with an inside self-locking device, so that but one lock cannot be tampered with when the train is running, nor readily reached when the train is at rest. There being no exposed end lock, the end is practically as securely closed as an or` dinary solid-end box-car, and there is as little opportunity of tampering with the contents.

A cheap and secure inside fastening consists of a bar, b, pivoted to the inside of the door, near the outer edge, by a bolt, c, and of about the same length as the width ot' the door-opening, so as to lie across the latter with its end restingV on a ledge, e, when the door is closed, securely-fastening the latter. When the door is to be opened, theloose end of the baris turned up and the door slid to the position as shown in Fig. 2, a notch,x, in the frame receiving the end of the bar and preventing it from falling outward. i

At the present time it is essential that boxcars be adapted to carry grain; also, that the grain boards or panels be readily placed and removed. Otherwise the services of a large number of men would be required, and, what is more important, much time would be lost. `The ordinary straight panels, consisting of boards sawed oft' to lit the doors, are apt to be lost or stolen,being light, easily removed,and readily cut up. lt has been attempted to avoid these losses by forming each grain-door in one piece,

of a heavy frame andpanels, and sliding in grooves vertically and horizontally, so as to be undetachable; `but such a door is heavy, difficult to move when the grain presses against it, and even when the car is empty requires the services of several men to change its position. To avoid these difficulties I use a number of panels, F F, consisting each of a light, plain strip or board, and I provide the door with side guides, f f', in which the panels may slide vertically, and which sustain them in place when arranged for holding a car-load of grain. The inside guide,f', is cutaway near the top of the car to leave a passage, w, wide enough `to slide oneot' the panels laterally until it ism oved from between the guidesffinto the space between vertical guides f f2, when it can slide downward until itrestson stops y. Toprevent the removal ofthe panel when it is being slid laterally, guides i are so arranged above the opening w that the panel must occupy a position between them before and as it is moved into the said opening. As each panel is light a y I 276,644

and narrow, it can be readily moved by one man Without danger of jamming, and even when the grain presses against the same.

It will further be evident that a door made ofa number of plain boards is not only cheaper than one made ofa heavy frame and. panels bolted therein, but is also more readily replaced in case of breakage, which is very apt to. occur from various causes.`

I claim- 1. The combination, in a boxsoar, ofthe end door, bar b, pivoted tothe inside of vsaid. end door, near the outer edge, and frame having a rest, e, and notoh-,substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, in a box-car, of a grain- :5 door consisting of separate loose panels F F and two sets of vertical guides, a passage between them adapted to receive the panels separately, and guides t above said passage, substantially as set forth. zo

lx1-testimony whereof Ihave signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

B. FRANK TEAL.

Witnesses:

JNO. W. SIMS, G. W. F. SWARTZELL. 

